Simple Treasures
by ShadowYazoo
Summary: A story of Amy and Shadow. Written for my Amy for her Birthday
1. Simple Treasures

The ocean stretched out far, colored soft blue colors under cloudy skies. The air smelled fresh and salty, and the weather was just right, not to chilly and not too hot.

Amy enjoyed coming out here, to swim or to just play. There was never a dull day on these rocky shores, she always could find something new, be it a fish she hadn't seen before, a piece of colorful glass from somewhere far away or a seashell that was made by the diligence of the creature that lived in it once. She often wondered out far away from the rest of her family, exploring until she got tired and then she would run back with the treasures she collected and show them off. The most awesome ones she kept on the small table next to her bed.

Once again she spent a long time watching creatures in the tide pool before she realized that the sun was already setting. She looked up to see that most of the sky has cleared and the sunset painted the world with cream colors. It took her breath away for a second, but it also planted a wish she didn't understand at first.

_I wish I could share this with someone…someone important…_

She brushed that thought off then, but later that night she thought more of just who she was picturing. Sure her family was there with her, but she wanted to see that sight with someone in particular…was there a person out there like that? What were they like?

In any case she was 12, so she fell asleep dreaming of the sunset and being safe, with warm feelings that reached farther than the sun, into her soul.

...

Groggy from very long sleep, Shadow was slowly waking up. He blinked and winced as his eyes were adjusting to the light. His whole body felt weak. Air around him was humid and the metal floor of the glass container was cold.

There was still some liquid in his lungs so he coughed several times before he was coherent enough to look around.

Through the glass he could see some computers and a mostly empty dark room. He also saw a shape in white coat and a lot of face fur that was only growing in one spot. Whoever that was didn't seem too threatening.

The shape pressed something outside the pod, letting in some fresh air as the glass moved to the side. There was still some liquid left on the floor, it probably was filling up the whole pod before.

The man in a lab coat was smiling; it's the first time he actually got to see his creation not behind a glass. Several times it seemed like it wasn't going to work, but the experiment was indeed a success.

'My name is Gerald. Welcome to this world, Shadow,' he extended his hand, trying to reassure the confused creature.

Shadow inched away at first, unsure if he could trust the much larger man. 'S..Shadow?' He paused in surprise, hearing himself for the first time.

'That is your name, Shadow. You shouldn't be afraid. Me, my staff and my daughter Maria are going to look after you. This is your home as well as ours.'

Shadow blinked, he still didn't quite trust this man, but he really did seem like he was there to help Shadow. His stomach growled, and seemed to be hurting a lot.

'I am hungry,' somehow a lot of the words he already knew and mentally was closer to a teenager than someone born just a few minutes ago.

The scientist chuckled. 'We have food. Come on, let me show you the rest of this station.'

Shadow followed him and got to try out his first meal – rice balls with salmon.

...

'So…there are people just like you and the doctor living down there?...on that blue thing?' Shadow was looking out from the observation window at the blue planet below. The stars were bright above it in the familiar deep darkness of space.

'Yes, they do. I heard only stories from my grandpa, but it is an amazing planet. With a blue sky rather than our ceiling that stretches on and on. It has weather….and night and day change…there are rivers and the ocean, and I would like to see it all. With you. You would like it Shadow.'

He smiled one of his small but still happy smiles. 'We will, Maria.'

...

The ocean was still the same as it used to be, and Amy enjoyed some time alone by it. She wasn't as intent on finding treasures at 17, but even just looking around at the sea life and breathing in the salty air was fun enough. Her favorite bright red dress stood out against the scenery as she hopped from one rock to the next.

Her mind was heavy with the thoughts of the blue hedgehog she knew and how cold he was to any of her advances. Perhaps it was just one sided.

When she looked around she noticed that she wandered off quite a bit and was in a remote part of the beach. Amy was about to head back when she saw something glisten in a rocky cove. She moved closer to see what it was. It still wasn't too clear so she traversed the slippery rocks next to some strong current to get to the object. A sharp edge on one of the rocks tore a slit through one of her shoes.

'Awhhh…not my shoes..' she pouted but kept going, at least she can see whatever it was to compensate for the damage.

She almost slipped again, but managed to balance herself on something cold and smooth. It was the shiny object she saw before, wedged by the waves between the rocks. It seemed to be in here for a while, since it was overgrown by small shells and sea grass.

'Huh…a container? What's it doing here..' it looked like something out of the movies, she never saw this technology in real life.

_What if it's a alien…_

She shook that thought off, aliens scared her. Besides…its not like anyone could be inside this…all those years…

Amy cleared off some of the goo off the container. Black letters said A.R.K. in their language, so it wasn't alien. Underneath the letters and under the glass was…someone's face?!

She yelped and almost slipped in shock. After initial panic passed a bunch of thoughts ran through her mind. Was this person alive? Or did she just see…

…Well all those questions would have been left unanswered if that person couldn't tell her. …But what if they are dangerous?

She could take care of herself. Maybe she could even save their life, who knows.

'Don't freak out. I am not trying to hurt you…here it goes?..!' Amy readied her Piko hammer and smashed the side of the container, making sure not to damage whoever was inside of it.

The thing hissed and smoke started coming out of it, which caused Amy to panic even more, what if all of this went wrong and she might have just killed someone. What if….

She heard coughing, then the lid of the container got tossed all of the way off as the occupant freed himself. He stood up shakily, since he hasn't moved in a while and looked around. The air was full of smells, way more than the sterile air of the space station. He heard the waves and saw the skies Maria talked about.

Then Shadow remembered what led up to him being here and he started crying. He was aware there was another person nearby but the memories hit him all at once.

_Woah…I wonder what happened…_

Whatever it was he looked like he needed a hug. So Amy moved over to him and wrapped her arms around the lonely stranger. He was warm and for some reason it wasn't as awkward as it should have been.

Shadow didn't protest. He stayed in her arms for a while, until the tears stopped and he could think again.

'..Um…Thank you…' he realized he didn't even know the persons name.

'Oh…no problem…you looked like you needed it. I am Amy. Sorry I almost hit you with a hammer earlier, no hard feelings right?..hahah…'

Shadow wasn't sure what she was talking about. 'Shadow…Um….could you let go of me?' Her arms were still around him.

Amy blushed, not realizing they were still hugging. 'AH! Yeah of course' She looked at him again, noting he really was pretty handsome. Usually she could figure out people right away, but not him, and that intrigued her a lot. 'Could we…maybe move to a different spot? The rocks here aren't the safest.'

Shadow nodded and helped her back to the more stable ground. His legs were still a little weak, but he was recovering fast. His jacket was all wrinkled and his quills were a mess. His eyes looked a little lost still, but his confidence was slowly coming back.

'This is…Earth, right?' asked Shadow. It had a blue sky alright, and the ocean.

Amy looked at him, but he still didn't look like an alien. 'Yes, its Earth. You from the ocean or something?'

Shadow shook his head and pointed to the sky. 'I'd rather not go into the details. Thank you for helping me.' He almost got into a running position but Amy caught that.

'Won't you get lost? You don't really know the area. And I barely got a chance to talk to you.'

'You wouldn't want to hang around me much….' He glanced back at her then tossed her a communicator he had with him. 'If you want to talk, use that. Later' With a blur he was off, vanishing before she could even blink.

_Shadow…._

The sunset was again in full beauty, reminding her she should probably head home. Amy looked down at the communicator, which still had Shadow's scent on it.

_Will he be back? He didn't even get to see this sunset with her…_

She felt he was watching it too though. Maybe that someone…someone important…was Shadow all along.

...

Amy quickly ate dinner, thanked her parents and ran to her room, jumping on her bed. Several minutes passed as she tried to calm herself down enough until her heart wasn't beating so fast and she could actually breathe. Then she took out the communicator and spent a few minutes looking at it too, until her mind stopped racing, creating all those great scenarios and romantic scenes and replaying their meeting.

_You can do it, Amy_

Amy closed her eyes and tapped the call button. If she heard his voice he was right there.

'Amy?'

That single world send shivers down her spine. It took her a second to compose herself.

'Yes, um…Hi Shadow, I hope I am not bothering you' Amy twirled her hair, nervously. What if he wouldn't want to talk to her anymore?'

'Hi' was it a smile in his voice she heard? 'Don't worry about it. I was just thinking. A lot had happened.'

'I see' … thinking about what? Their meeting?…Amy knew she was. 'You didn't get lost?'

'This place is unfamiliar, yes. But I can figure things out. I have to.'

'You know I can help…I grew up around here. You found a place to stay, Shadow?' Amy flinched, what if he took it the wrong way? What if she was being too forward?'

'More or less, I am on the move a lot.'

He was being brief in his speech. She didn't really know much about him, maybe that's just how he was.

'Say…Amy…I haven't properly thanked you for rescuing me. Would you like to meet somewhere?'

Did he just?!

Amy blushed, she wanted to see Shadow again.

'Ummm….there is a park not too far from here. We can have a picnic?'

'Sounds good. I'll be there.'

Her heart was still beating fast as the call ended. Amy touched the communicator, since it's the only thing she had that was his. His warmth seemed to linger on it, his voice still replayed in her ears, his mysterious eyes held so many questions but if anyone could answer them, she would have liked it to be her.

_You are head over heels, girl. _

But she wasn't worried, just happy. Was it what real love felt like?

Did he feel the same way?

...

The air crackled as energy dissipated around Shadow. He managed to already acquire one of the Chaos emeralds, which let him travel as far as he wished.

The park was bright with summer colors. It had stone pathways, flowers, tall trees and a small stream winding through. Birds chirped in the branches. The park was mostly empty, with only a few people wondering around.

He waved at Amy who was setting up a picnic blanket next to the stream under a tree. He had to do some research on what a picnic actually was, since there were no such things up at the station. It was customary to bring food, so he handed her a basket with food he picked up at the store. Since he didn't have much money he helped with some of the store chores to get it.

'Are fruits okay?' asked Shadow, he looked pretty lost.

Amy nodded and smiled 'Of course, we have plenty of food. Sit down, make yourself comfortable, Shadow.'

Shadow nodded and sat down on the blanket next to Amy. They talked for a while about each other, well mostly Amy did, Shadow just pitched in a few one word responses every once in a while. Time here seemed to slow down a bit, since there were no clocks or something fast paced around, just steady flow of water in the stream, rustle of leaves from the wind and warm rays of the sun.

'Since you didn't seem like you are accustomed to life here yet I thought being here would help, since it is not crowded like a café or some other place would be. Plus I like it' Amy was eating an apple Shadow brought while he was working on a tangerine.

'Thank you, it is a nice place.' Shadow felt calmer for the first time in a while, this was fun. 'What's that?' he held up a whole pineapple. 'And how do you eat it?'

'Mmm it's a pineapple…I am actually not sure. It was always premade when we got it.'

Shadow frowned, trying to figure it out. 'How does it taste?'

'It's pretty good.'

'Hmm..' The top green part came off. 'Its not any better now is it?...'

Amy laughed. 'Nah…besides it might not be ripe enough yet, so it wouldn't taste good for a little while.'

Shadow kept looking at it, he really wanted to try this pineapple, it seemed interesting.

'Then how about you let me hold on to it and once its ripe we can share it?' Amy didn't want this to be their only meeting, every single moment spent with Shadow was a treasure, even if he seemed aloof right now.

'Sure. I look forward to it.'

...

It has been about a week and a half since the picnic date. Amy has been staring down that pineapple but only now it got to the point where it was edible. Her dad helped her with preparing it so now it was sitting in a bowl in the fridge waiting for Shadow to come.

The doorbell announced that he indeed was there. Amy did her makeup and wore one of her favorite rose necklaces, along with her usual red dress. Shadow probably wouldn't even notice the makeup was there, but she wanted to look nice for him.

'Hi Shadow!' Amy hugged him since she missed him, even though they haven't officially been dating yet. Not only did he not protest but he hugged her back. Amy felt safe and warm in his arms, which reminded her of that feeling she dreamt about so long ago.

Amy had to release him even though she didn't want to. 'This is my friend Shadow I talked about,' she introduced him to her dad.

The men exchanged brief words until the courtesy was satisfied. Amy led Shadow up to her room, as he carried the bowl of pineapple and some soda.

The room was very pink, but it suited Amy pretty well. Shadow spotted her hammer next to the dresser and remembered the ringing in his ears from that thing when he was still inside the container. A lot of photos of her and her friends were on the walls and the windows looked out at the garden in the backyard.

She had a small TV next to her bed and a DVD was playing a menu on it. Amy sat down on her bed and invited Shadow to sit next to her and he did.

_He is being pretty timid. I guess he hasn't been to a lot of friend's rooms before…_

'Relax, you don't have to be so formal, its just a room not a museum. You aren't going to break it just by looking at it,' Amy chuckled but blushed from seeing Shadow blush in embarrassment. It was subtle, but pretty cute.

'Alright,' Shadow nodded and lowered his guard a little.

They watched several of Amy's favorite movies, that weren't as girly as one might think. They ate snacks and chatted about what was happening in the movie until Amy was too into it and she shushed Shadow so she could watch.

About halfway through one of the movies, Shadow felt Amy's eyes on him and a second later he felt her lips touch his. He flinched, surprised and unsure how to proceed, but he tried kissing her back anyway.

Amy blinked, blushing heavily. 'I…I love you, Shadow. I am sorry… couldn't wait any longer.' Her heart was racing from just how good that felt and from anxiety about what he would say back.

Shadow looked at her, already smiling. 'I love you too, Amy. I have been since I saw you, but I wanted to know you felt it too.'

Amy covered her mouth and squeaked from too many emotions, then hugged him close and nuzzled into his neck. 'I am so happy'

'As am I' smiled Shadow, holding her close.


	2. Soft Kisses

'Was that…your first kiss?' asked Amy, blushing. Something about his reaction told her that might have been the case.

Shadow nodded, Maria did kiss him on the cheek before numerous times, but that was different. He stroked Amy's cheek lightly and smiled, albeit a small smile.

'It was, Amy..' then he kissed her again 'and that was my second.'

Her breath caught in her throat for a second, to experience these amazing feelings so soon after their first kiss. And he initiated it, learning fast.

'H…hope it wasn't too bad of a kiss,' she was blushing a lot now. Amy blinked and took his hand, gingerly. 'Can you stay here with me tonight? I miss you when you are away. I will understand if you can't….But I would like you to'

Shadow held her hand, 'I missed you too, Amy. I'll stay as you ask me to. I will need to go somewhere tomorrow, though.'

Amy smiled and nuzzled into his soft fur, happy that he was so close, not for away fighting his own battles. He held her closer, and there was nowhere else she would rather be, than right here, in this moment with Shadow.

They talked in the soft light from the moon that filtered in through the curtains until they got too tired. Amy snuggled up to Shadow with her head on his chest. She heard his breathing get steady and slow and looked up at his face. He was sound asleep already, and his face looked more relaxed. It usually had a scowl or a frown even when he wasn't on guard, meaning he was always thinking about something and had known life's harsher side. Amy smiled and blushed again, with not very appropriate things concerning Shadow running through her mind, until she too fell asleep, so comfortable in his arms he might as well be made out of feathers and clouds.

...

It was afternoon when Amy woke up, stretching then looked around when her bed appeared to be emptier than she thought. Shadow wasn't there, but his smell was, and she could still feel his kiss on her lips, she vaguely remembered him kissing her in early morning.

A now cold cup of coffee was on her nightstand, along with some pastrys they didn't have in their fridge…So he must have made them from scratch. Her dad wouldn't do that so it probably was…Shadow.

She smiled and squeaked happily, this has been the best morning so far, minus he fact that Shadow wasn't here anymore. When she got up to eat her breakfast she saw a pineapple plush toy next to the plate. She sniffed it and it had Shadow's smell on it too. The pineapple had a cute face on it, something she wouldn't imagine Shadow picking out on his own…

_Awhh…he is so sweet…I should get him something in return_

There was a paper note under the plush. Amy picked it up and saw a handwritten message. The font was a little hard to read, since the skill wasn't used too often…

'I will need to come check on this pineapple until the day we can eat it'

Tears came to Amy's eyes. This was too cute, he meant their meetings won't ever stop.

She smiled and hugged the plush toy close to her. Shadow already meant so much to her, and it was clear that she meant a lot to him too.

Amy got ready and headed out for a day of shopping, it was always fun. But now she could look for a gift for someone special.

_I wonder what Shadow likes?_

_..._

The alarms sounded loud in the air as Shadow dodged the shots from the robot guards that were chasing him. For some reason a lot of them were built for high speed chases, which made it harder to escape than usual. He couldn't teleport out of here either, something was stopping him. This was a lot more difficult than getting the first Chaos emerald.

Suddenly something hit him from behind. Shadow gasped and turned around, punching out the robot that was chasing him, putting him out of commission until it could repair itself.

The spinning circle that just hit him stopped and now looked like a hedgehog.

'What's your problem?…jerk' growled Shadow. The other guy had a similar style, but his face was way more annoying and his quills were bright blue rather than black.

'Name's Sonic' the guy introduced himself. 'You have a Chaos emerald I came here for. Hand it over!'

'Well…let me think about it…No. It belongs to me.' Shadow kicked him and ran for the exit, but Sonic caught up with him.

'Who are you anyway?... And why are you after the emeralds?'

'If you want chit chat you came to the wrong place,' growled Shadow and sped up even more, running through hallways and dodging weapons as it was his nature. 'Why are you?'

'To stop Eggman…I need their power!'

'Who's Eggman?' Shadow was confused about this feud between an egg and a frozen ice-cream fast food chain…at least that's what he read about those sounded like.

'The guy that owns this base! Who threatens to take over the world! Eggman Robotnik, you know.'

Shadow's eyes went wide. 'Robotnik?!...get lost, I have no business with you'

Before Sonic could protest, Shadow stopped at the entrance to the base, letting Sonic get ahead of him and teleported out of there.

...

His back still hurt a little from where he got hurt, but it was nice to be back at Amy's place.

'Shadow!' she ran up and hugged him as he walked through the door. 'I got a present for you! And thank you, I liked the breakfast you made.'

He hugged her back, refraining from kissing her just yet since her dad was nearby. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable. 'Really? What is it, Amy?'

She grinned happily and pinned a pink butterfly to the fabric above his glove. 'I am sorry it is so girly, I wasn't too sure what you liked s..so….' She stuttered, noticing his expression.

'It is just like you…' he smiled and nodded. 'I will wear it, Amy'

She giggled. He sounded like he was taking on a mission, even though it was just a pin. His smile was lighting up more and more, which made Amy happier.

'Oh and I got you a t-shirt you might like and some snacks and yeah…are you okay? You are wincing every other time you move,' She put her hand on his shoulder, concerned.

'M…yes. My back hurts a little, but it is nothing major. You look cute,'

That sounded like a distraction but she smiled anyway, to distract him too from the pain.

'Awh thank you, Shadow' she brushed a hair out of her face. 'Let's have some tea, I got it for us'

They ate a dinner with hot tea while watching some shows in the living room. When they got back to Amy's room, she insisted on giving him a massage. Shadow agreed and once he felt better and Amy was done she gave her a kiss in thanks.

'Be safe, Shadow, I need you,' said Amy, holding him close.

'I promise I will be,' he petted her hair softly to reassure her. 'I need you too, and I will always protect you, my love. I won't let anything bad happen to you.'

Amy smiled and kissed him back instead of the response. 'Do you need to leave tomorrow too?'

'No, I will spend a few days here,' said Shadow and kissed her again.

'Yay!' those were amazing news. She cuddled up to him as they fell asleep together, that pink pin still on the cuff of his gloves, with his fingers tangled in her hair.


	3. Time with Friends

Her bed was warm and comfortable, she never wanted to leave. Shadow was holding her close and his breath tickled her shoulder a little bit, but it was worth it. It was amazing that both of them loved each other. She wanted to know everything about him, and now she had a forever to do so.

Amy tried not to move much, enjoying the closeness and the overwhelming smell of Shadow. Her heart was beating fast. She wondered what he was dreaming about.

After a few minutes Shadow opened his eyes, to see pink all around him. Pink now always reminded him of Amy, it was a soft and happy color.

'Good morning, my love' said Shadow, kissing her ear lightly.

That made her tingle more than it should have. 'Good morning, Shadow' squeaked out Amy.

Shadow smiled and yawned, stretching. 'Hmm...what time is it?' the sun looked pretty bright.

Amy found her phone on the nightstand and checked it. 'A little after noon.' She yawned too and kissed him on the cheek.

Shadow responded with a kiss on her lips which made Amy whimper in surprise and because the guy was doing things to her without realizing it. The kiss kept going for a little bit, then Shadow smiled at her and the look in his eyes was so soft it made her melt.

'I am hungry,' Shadow's stomach growled at about the same moment he said it to prove his point. 'What would you like for breakfast?'

'Anything sounds good,' Amy nuzzled him. The fact that Shadow could cook was a plus.

'Should I boil my gloves then and sprinkle them with fresh herbs and balsamic vinaigrette?' Shadow chuckled.

He made a joke, with how serious he often is that meant he was beginning to get more comfortable around her. Amy giggled 'That would be a little hard to eat, silly boy'

'Not if I boil them for a while, that would make them softer.' Shadow petted her hair. 'What do you want, Amy? And dont say 'anything', otherwise this conversation will go on and on.'

Amy pondered that thought for a while. 'One of your favorite breakfast foods to make, your choice.' She was mostly just hungry, even though in general she was pretty picky with her food.

'Alright,' Shadow sat up and stretched, unaware that Amy was checking him out. He turned and smiled at her 'I'll go get it ready.'

Amy nodded, blushing more and more. It felt right for him to be here with her, if only they could stay like this, that would make her the happiest Hedgehog in the world.

She brushed her teeth, took a shower (she didn't want to get his smell off of her, but she also needed to get clean) and did her makeup, while Shadow cooked. She messed up on her eyeliner a few times, trying to hurry to see him again but also wanting it to be perfect so he would like it. Once that was done she walked over to her dresser, getting out her favorite sparkly red hairband with rose designs, her usual red dress, red flipflops and gloves. She checked herself in the mirror when she got dressed, and wagged her tail in excitement. It was fun dressing up for him.

When she walked down, a smell of salmon, one of her favorite fish to eat, filled the room. Shadow was finishing making a row of salmon riceballs. They werent the neatest ones, but one doesnt look a gift horse in the mouth.

'Aww! I love salmon. I cant wait to try it!' Amy squealed and hugged Shadow for making them breakfast. It was just them two in the kitchen, since her dad left earlier.

'Glad to hear that. Its the first food I ever tried, it is one of my favorites,' Shadow was blushing slightly, obviously enjoying the hug.

Amy looked at him, a bit puzzled. How does someone remember the very first food they ate? Most are too young then, and she had trouble remembering what she ate yesterday, let alone the first time ever. It just meant that Shadow, as mysterious as he is, was even cooler than she thought.

Shadow smiled slightly and took her hand, walking her over to her spot at the table. He set the freshly made tea in front of her, along with a plate of riceballs in a line, with some sauce and wasabi on the side. Amy blinked the happy tears away, Shadow was such a gentleman.

He sat down across from her and motioned for her to try it before digging in himself. 'How is it?'

Amy smiled brightly ' Delicious, Shadow! Thank you.'

Shadow nodded approvingly and started eating. Amy found herself watching him eat, for some reason it was very cute. Shadow looked up at her. 'Something the matter?'

Amy shook her head. 'No, nothing...Mmm...Shadow?' She paused.

'Yes?'

'Would you like to join me today? I was going to go shopping with a few of my friends, and I would love for you to come with.' She bit her lip, waiting on his response.

Shadow didn't want to be known by too many people, but there wasn't much harm in meeting Amy's friends as long as it meant getting to spend a day with her and see what she enjoys in 'shopping'. Just seeing her happy would make the trip more that worthwhile.

'I would go with you, Amy. Do I have to wear something special?'

Amy shook her head and smiled. 'Naah, you can go as you are, its not too formal of a place. Usually guys don't enjoy those trips, but my friends wanted to meet you. That and there are nice food places there and neat things to look at. You would like it.'

Shadow smirked, which made Amy squeak a little. 'Then shall we go?'

* * *

It wasn't hard to spot a bright flash of yellow that was Tails at the mall. Shadow and Amy were meeting them there. Along with Tails there were Cream and Cheese and Cosmo. Tails was carrying most of the bags, but he didn't seem to mind it too much.

Amy introduced Shadow to all of them and he shook hands as they introduced themselves. They seemed like a cheery group.

'Are you guys hungry?' asked Amy. She was a little hungry herself since it was several hours since they ate.

'Starving' pitched in Tails. 'They put in a new place with the weird ice-cream dots, across from where we usually eat.'

'We should try some,' said Amy. 'Its ice-cream, there is no way it can be bad.'

There was an aquarium in the food court and Shadow was watching it for a while, not knowing how to join in on conversation as everyone ate. He listened to it though when they were talking about anything that concerned Amy. A few times a word of someone named Sonic came up, and how now and again he wasn't nice to Amy. Shadow decided he didnt like that guy, because only someone terrible could act mean towards Amy. It could also be the same one he met yesterday, in which case he had more reasons not to like him/ A few times they tried asking about Shadow's past or about him and he either answered short or asked them not to bring things up. The group listened, and Amy assured them he would tell them one day, so that he doesn't appear too shady.

'Shadow!...say Ahh~' said Amy, holding up a spoonful of ice-cream dots. 'Its really good'

Shadow sniffed it cautiously, but it didn't smell different from how ice-cream would. He let Amy feed him. It had a surprising texture, but it was actually fun to eat so he smiled at her. 'Thank you, its pretty good.'

After dinner they walked around the mall for a while and Amy tried on different clothes and ended up buying a black dress with yellow stars on it that Shadow liked. They got some sunglasses for Shadow because he didnt have any, Tails managed to find a model of a plane he liked, Cream bought Cheese and herself a ring and in general they had a pretty good time.

When they were leaving the mall, Sonic waved at them and Shadow immediately recognized him from earlier. There weren't many that looked like him.

'Do you know him?' asked Shadow. It was already too late to escape before he noticed.

'Yeah, its Sonic' said Amy. What happened earlier between them still hurt her a bit, and Shadow could hear it in her voice.

'Who is he? Your friend?' asked Sonic as he neared them. It seemed he didn't remember their encounter earlier.

Amy introduced them and Sonic shook his hand, even though Shadow glared at him. 'Well I just wanted to let you guys know that there were news of another Chaos Emerald. We will get this one for sure!'

Perhaps it was for the best he didn't remember. But it was clear now their paths would cross again.

Shadow took Amy's hand as they were walking back and held it firmly but gently to let her know he was there for her. She smiled and kissed him, and he offered to give her a piggyback ride the rest of the way, and she agreed. It was comforting to feel her arms around him. The stars and the moon were in the sky above them, casting their soft light on the couple.


End file.
